Preface

Many historians have dealt with the Antarctic sovereignty dispute of the 1940s and 1950s, and they concur that it motivated the U.S. internationalisation proposal that served as the basis of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. It is understandable that most Antarctic specialists dwell on contemporary issues related to the treaty's maintenance, yet the sovereignty dispute entailed a number of more dramatic issues: jingoistic declarations, provocative gestures, and the risk of war. These issues are encapsulated in The frozen continent, written and directed by the first author, and performed at Universidad Marítima de Chile, Reñaca Viña del Mar, Chile, on 29–30 June 2007.

None of the actors had previous experience with theatre, but their performances were memorable. Enzo Herrera Grillo clearly enjoyed portraying James as the very embodiment of U.S. imperialism while María Elena Giacaman left no doubt of Fran's exasperation with north Americans, herein referring exclusively to citizens of the United States, as well as with her fellow Chileans. The supporting cast included César Zamorano as Carlos, a student of Fran who shares her nationalistic perspective, and Cristhian Rebolledo as Ricky, the remarkably open-minded grandson of Admiral Richard Byrd.

The frozen continent was featured at a professional skills workshop organized by the Centre for Hemispheric and Polar Studies with support from the Chilean Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Chilean Ministry of Education (V Región), and the Valle Hermosa Foundation. The workshop provided an ideal venue since it was attended by some of the individuals most committed to preserving Chile's Antarctic legacy. The play humorously demonstrates that conflicting national interests need not preclude peaceful coexistence. It also recalls what Chilean journalists, among others, observed in the pre-Treaty era, that the dispute held a certain ‘sex appeal’ (quoted in Department of State 1955).

After the final performance Moore (Reference Moore2007) discussed the nature of history and the pedagogic value of theatre. Although he writes plays and academic literature (for example Moore Reference Moore2004, Reference Moore2008) for the same reason, to communicate with new audiences, the latter is bound to reach only a limited number of people and to be dismissed by most others as trivial. Theatre, on the other hand, seeks to hold the attention of the general public. The frozen continent demonstrates that the complex issues surrounding the formation of the 1959 treaty can be presented both simply and in an engaging manner. Wherever and however used, the script will help to generate or reinforce interest in Antarctic studies.